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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, The year 2013 marks the 90th anniversary of the |
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founding of Loretto Academy in El Paso; and |
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WHEREAS, The academy is an extension of the long tradition of |
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educational and spiritual instruction that began when the Sisters |
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of Loretto formed in 1812; this uniquely American religious order |
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responded to the dire need for schools from the Kentucky frontier, |
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across the Midwest, and into the Southwest, and members of the group |
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moved to El Paso in the late 1800s; and |
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WHEREAS, Through the dedicated efforts of the first bishop of |
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El Paso, Bishop Schuler, and Mother Praxedes Carty, funds and |
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property were secured for the creation of a girls boarding school, |
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and Loretto Academy opened its doors in 1923; the institution |
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attracted young women from Mexico as well as the United States in |
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1st through 12th grade; after Vatican II in the 1960s, the school |
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expanded its mission through special ministries, reaching out to |
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local gangs, the poor, the deaf, and the elderly; moreover, the |
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sisters also tutored students, taught English as a second language, |
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and provided educational opportunities for adults; and |
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WHEREAS, In 1975, the school transformed from a boarding |
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school into a middle school; today, Loretto offers coeducational |
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classes from prekindergarten to fifth grade and remains an |
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all-girls institution from middle school through high school; |
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rooted in the strong principles of its founders, the academy |
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fosters leadership, meaningful relationships, academic excellence, |
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and a respect for diversity among its students; and |
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WHEREAS, For nine decades, Loretto Academy has equipped |
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countless young Texans with a strong educational foundation, and it |
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is indeed a pleasure to recognize the school at this point in its |
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rich history; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 83rd Texas |
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Legislature hereby honor Loretto Academy on its 90th anniversary |
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and extend to its administrators, faculty, staff, and students |
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sincere best wishes for the future; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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prepared for the school as an expression of high regard by the Texas |
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House of Representatives. |